This will be the last newsletter of 2024. I am off for a combo of travelling to see family and doing a personal 3-day retreat. Here's what I wrote awhile back about taking breaks:
How close are you to burnout?
As editors, we tend to be the type of person who
- Loves the feeling of being busy, but may not recognize when we are doing too much until it is too late, and/or
- Feels that unless we are busy, we aren't good enough at our jobs.
Do you identify with either of these? I think I have both and definitely have been burnt out before. Burnout is true psychological and physical distress: fatigue, irritability, illness, negativity. Quite plainly, it sucks.
Editing can be particularly taxing on the brain; it requires (sometimes) hours of focus on one thing, with one way of thinking, and it keeps us in a certain rigid thought pattern. It's true work and anti-rest.
While I am not qualified to talk about all the science and psychology behind burnout, I have figured out (and science backs me up!) that taking breaks, resting from work, and even daydreaming not only helps me be a happier person, but makes work and life better. Plus, isn't it a crucial part of workplace health and safety?
A true break from a difficult task allows our bodies to rest and recover and our brains to reset. I have found stepping away from my desk for just 10 minutes out of every hour helps me edit and problem solve exponentially better. I customize the Marinara app on my desktop to ping me into and out of break times automatically.
Here's some ideas on what to do during a longer respite in the middle of your editing workflow:
- Knit or crochet a bit while refreshing a drink
- Eat lunch outside
- Take a walk
- Dance! Dance!
- Take an art break
- Set your eyes' focus on something far away
If you can't take a break mid-edit (ugh, deadlines!), it's okay. Science shows that even briefest diversions from a task can dramatically improve our ability to focus on that task for prolonged periods. Ideas for short and super short breaks:
- Stand up and stretch or move for 1 minute
- Look long distance for 5 minutes (across the street, field, etc.) and daydream about what you see
- Do a short meditation with deep breathing
- My favorite: I lie on the floor with my grand-puppy and play; it makes me laugh and it makes her so happy
“One of the reasons I have to take distinct breaks when I work is to allow the momentum of a particular direction to run down, so that another one can establish itself.” – Brian Eno
On a bigger scope, I have made it a habit to hard-plan breaks for myself from my business. When I set up a new year's calendar, I mark in --with red Sharpie-- important dates and weeks that I won't be working. I also make sure my appointment calendar matches these hard dates, so I don't get accidental appointments.
The crazy, crazy pants thing that happens during these breaks from "work" is that I inevitably get a huge gusher of ideas and solutions and inspiration about my work. Stepping away into "quiet" allows my brain the creative space for beautiful sprouts to pop up, and I love it. I don't usually act on any of these ideas during my break, but I sure do capture them in a way that is meaningful for me.
One last note: thank you for being reader of this newsletter and part of the Hub. I appreciate you and all that you do for designers, publishers, and our industry. What you do in those patterns has an impact. Your work ripples on out to improve things for the makers, right there while they are wrangling hook, needles, and yarn, and that is no small thing.
May the coming year bring you much joy, confidence, and lots of peace.
See you in 2025,
Sarah
p.s. If you are missing this newsletter, you can always read past issues HERE.
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I am a knitting technical editor, author, and sweater nerd. I like coffee, puzzles, many books (all at once), and a good sniff of yarn fumes. This Hub is all about helping *you* find success as a technical editor from any direction that works.
When you are ready:
- Learn to tech edit knitting patterns or crochet patterns. Get training and real pattern practice before you take on clients.
- Schedule a strategy session with me. Go deep and get unstuck.
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- Or just book a virtual cuppa with me. How can I help you?
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